Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-07-15
The Bloody Ground.

Last week the final tragedy, it is
hoped, in the Rowan county, Ken
lucky, war was enacted, and the gang
of cut throats who have ruled the af.
fairs of the county by assassination
and bull doing was exterminated.
Craig Tolliver, the leading Democrat.
ic Statesman" of Rowan county, was
defeated three years ago for Sheriff
by Republican named Martin, who
ran as on independent candidate.
Tolliver Immediately organized gang
consisting largely of his relatives for
the purpose of exterminating the
Martin faction. Quarrels were fre-
quent and every opportunity was ia.
ken by Tolliver to assassinate any of
his opponents and the war went on,
often assuming the proportions of q
skirmish, until twenty-one persons
had been killed and over twice that
number MANNED for life. Tolliver
and his crowd had the people COM
pletely cowed and the life of every
man seemed in his hands. He had
himself elected Judge of the county
and all efforts to bring the murderers
to Justice were blocked.
Last week the Sheriff of an adjoin-
ing county and posse of two hum
dred men were armed by Gov. Knott,
aud sent with warrant to arrest the
Tollivers, at Moorhead, Rowan coun-
ty. They found Tolliver and friends
entrenched in a log hotel, and after a
siege of several hours they were fin
ally driven out by setting the hotel
on fire. AS they rushed from the
building they were slot down by the
posse. Craig Tolliver, Bud Tolli-
yer, Joy Tolliver and man named
Cooper were shot to death and one or.
two others wounded. One of the
posse was slightly hurt. Peace seems
to be once more established.
Under all the circumstances, the
State government of Kentucky doubt
less adopted the most effective meth
cd available for restoring peace to
Rowan county. Tolliver had terror
lied the neighborhood for years and
the hope of any lasting tranquility 50
long as he lived was futile. He had
gathered around him a gang of des-
perate characters who reveled in
blood and murder. They cared moth
ing for plunder, their only object be-
ing to crafty their lust for revenge
on the few who dared to question
their right to do as they chose 1t is
not probable that the manner of their
death was any surprise to the gang.
They doubtless knew that their lives
were in peril every moment, and the
fate they finally met was certainly
preferable to them to any punishment
they might have received at the
hands of the law.
Kentucky is one of the most illit.
crate States in the Union. Accord
ing to the cenc US of 1880 it stood
second in this respect, having 208,-
1876 native whites over ten years of
age who could not write. Tennessee
exceeded it then by few thousands,
but as the former State has made
much progress since, it is probable
that Kentucky to-day heads the list
of illiterate States. In all of Rowan
county, where Craig Tolliver and his
gang held their high carnival of blood
and murder, there is said not to be q
single school house. There are other
counties In Kentucky the criminal
IL = uh
dark, and it is probable that the
cloud of ignorance covering them is
nearly as heavy as that which dis
graces Rowan county. And yet it is
this State, with its history of crime
and ignorance, from which comes the
most persistent opposition to the
Blair Educational bill, and from
which Free Trade receives it's most
noisy support.